ACTE visits Phelps High School.

Kidwai, Sabrina

STAFF FROM THE ASSOCIATION FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, FCCLA, AND GLOBAL COMMUNICATORS paid a visit February 12 to Phelps Architecture, Construction, Engineering High School--a public career academy in Washington, D.C. The visit was to commemorate Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month, celebrated in February. Phelps reopened in August 2008 after renovating three abandoned school buildings. Students at Phelps take eight classes, including a CTE survey class during which students spend three to six weeks focused on each career path offered in the school. At the end of their freshman year, the students will select a career path that they will focus on for the next three years. When they graduate from high school, they will earn a high school diploma and a certificate of completion for that specialty program. If a student decides to specialize in a trade, like plumbing, he or she will complete an apprenticeship.

An Integrated Curriculum

Tiffany Moore, an engineer from Turner Construction, teaches engineering at the school and develops hands-on projects for the students. Moore said students are learning concepts better in class because of the correlation between academic and CTE content. A history teacher, meanwhile, described how he relates history to architecture design by asking his students to conduct research on the history of cathedrals in Rome, and they then write a paper or debate which type of arches should be used in designing a building.

Phelps Design Teaches Students

Phelps has gone green; the school wanted to provide students an educational opportunity to learn the latest energy efficiency and water conservation practices. Visitors got a firsthand look at solar water and solar power, geothermal features and wind turbines around the school. The school received Silver LEED certification and is the first high school in the district to receive it. Students are learning and using conservation methods such as recycling and conserving water. The purple pipes throughout the school represent geothermal energy, and students are learning how it's created and used throughout the facility. The school also has computer-controlled window shades and water systems in the greenhouse.

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Neat Features of the School

Phelps's entire campus is hooked in to Wi-fi, and the school has 100 laptops that are used throughout the school by instructors. In the career learning center, students can take a virtual tour of college campuses or learn about a variety of careers. The school has a virtual machine lab, which allows students to practice a variety of skills. Phelps has developed a Summer Bridge Program that brings in rising ninth-graders to the school to participate in a variety of projects. Students will be able to gain a better understanding of how Phelps operates, and have the opportunity to explore different career options through the visits, officials said. The school will be placing all freshmen in internships this summer to provide them with valuable hands-on experience. The visitors learned the latest in geothermal energy, career academies and a new feature called "Phelps Commons"--a meeting space that connects the original 1934 Phelps building with the 1960 shop building. "I was definitely impressed with the rigorous curriculum and the resources the school offers its students," said Jennifer Heuer, senior account executive at Global Communicators.

Sabrina Kidwai is ACTE's media relations manager. She can be contacted et skidwai@acteonline.org.